"My Lucky Day!"

 In honor of St. Patrick's Day, my authors wrote a story about having the luckiest day ever!  What would their day look like if they...

~ couldn't get hurt

~couldn't lose

~ couldn't get into trouble!

The students were tasked with creatively coming up with an idea of how they would get their luck, and then undoing it at the end of their story.

There were some definite common themes.  I learned who wanted pets but had parents who said "no," and I learned a lot about the desired amount of screen time and money in pockets!! I also learned about favorite activities and people in my students' lives.  And favorite snacks and desserts definitely were mentioned! (Nobody got in trouble for having dessert before dinner!) Enjoy these samples from across the grades!

My Lucky Day, by Cora (3rd grade)

        One day I was on a walk, and I came across a field of clovers that were all four-leaf clovers!! Suddenly, a small person popped out from the field: a leprechaun! He told me that humans weren't supposed to see the field, and I would have to meet him back here at the end of the day so he could undo the magic.

        When I got home, I decided to test my luck and asked my mom if I could build an attic. My mom said it was okay if I was careful, and I couldn't believe my ears! I ran into the garage and collected the supplies. Then I climbed up on the roof and started building. It ended up like a tent, but it was warm and cozy.

        Later I demanded my sister to get me ice cream for lunch. "What flavor?" she asked sweetly. Since my luck was working so well, I told her, "All of them!" She dashed inside and soon came back with a huge rainbow bowl of ice cream. I started to eat my ice cream, and once I finished, I didn't get a brain freeze or a stomach ache!

        I wanted to explore the town a bit before the day was over, and I was too tired to walk or bike. I knew I could just ask my mom to borrow her car, but she knows I can't drive and I wouldn't want to risk my luck. So of course I went to buy my own car. I only had $10, and I was hoping that my luck would make it cheap. Once I got there, I looked for the best car. There was a Tesla for $5, 99% off! This felt like a dream! I bought the car and pefectly drove out of the store like a pro.

        I looked at the time, and the sun was starting to set. I decided it was time to go back to the field, but with my extra $5, I decided to get ice cream for dinner, too. After ice cream, I drove to the field of clovers, got out, and stared at the leprechaun. The leprechaun stared at me. And just as I was about to say "hello," the leprechaun lifted his arm and ZAP! My Tesla was gone. I asked my sister about the ice cream, and she didn't have a clue. My luck was gone!

My Lucky Day, by Vivia (4th grade)

        One morning, I was walking my dog Dasher when suddenly he started rapidly barking to get my attention.  I looked where he was sniffing, and I found a perfectly good frosted cake! I immediately knew today would be my luckiest day yet.

        First, I convinced my parents to buy me a scratch lottery ticket.  I won!  I'm rich! I gave it to the cashier and got one million dollars!

        I was about to leave for school when my mom stopped me.  "School was mysteriously canceled, and no one knows why."  I grinned.  I played table tennis with my brother for thirty minutes.

        I decided to test my luck. I went to my parents. "Can we go to Great America?" I asked.  They agreed! I rode scary roller coasters, fast water rides, and ate ice cream.

        I took my dog out on an evening walk, feeling very lucky, when suddenly, the sun set.  Dasher started barking again, but this time I saw a big plate of disgusting vegetables! I knew my lucky day was over as quickly as it started.

My Lucky Day by Audrey (5th grade)

It was March 17th and I was just getting out of bed. My mom exclaimed, “We’re going to the Chinese restaurant today.”

“Yay!” I rejoiced. This was going to be a great day. 

After the delicious lunch, of course we got our fortune cookies. I opened the wrapper and crunched the cookie. I was so surprised at my fortune. It said, “You will have all the luck in the world for 24 hours. You can’t get hurt and you can’t lose.”

I had a swim meet later, so I decided to test my luck. As I dove into the pool, I knew something was different about this race. As I touched the wall, I looked up at the scoreboard and saw that I came in first. I realized that this was going to be my lucky day after all! Three races later, I was walking to my car with a handful of ribbons. 

When I got home, a mysterious, small box was lying in front of the door. The wrapper was completely gold. I quickly opened it and inside I found a million stuffed animals and other things I adore. All those things couldn’t possibly have fit in the box! Squished in the bottom was a little note that said, “Go to Diamond Shores and you can swim with hammerhead, lemon, mako, leopard, and whale sharks.” 

“Oh my gosh!!!! Is this really true?” I screamed. “And I don’t even have to change out of my swimsuit!” I quickly began to pack for my trip to the beach. My mom drove me to Diamond Shores, but on the way we stopped to buy an underwater camera. I was so glad I had it, because I took so many amazing pictures. There was even a frozen yogurt shop at the beach! I got mango swirl with coconut flakes on top, and because it was my lucky day, my mom said I could have an extra large size!.

When I got home, I took a nice, relaxing shower. Then I had to get ready to go out to a 5 star restaurant. I picked a gorgeous red dress and a white head band to pair with it. The food was exceptional! Just as I was leaving the restaurant, the waitress gave me a box that said “Unlimited Caramel.” I thanked her for the gift. I opened the box on the car ride home and ate a few pieces. It was so smooth and it dissolved in my mouth. It was like eating delicious clouds!

When I came back from the restaurant, I was ready for my last adventure: going heliskiing. On the way to the ski resort, I took a nap. When I got there, I suited up and flew away in a helicopter! The snow was so fresh and powdery. I loved skiing through the trees. I skied all the way down to the village to go get some Chinese food for dinner.

I got seated at a table and I got the best fried rice in the world. There were carrots, shrimp, and peas. Of course I got my fortune cookie. I opened the wrapper and ate the cookie. My fortune said, “Your 24 hours has expired.” I was so sad, but my day was quintessential! I hope something like this happens next St. Patrick's Day.

 

The Ketchup Clover

By: Allison (6th grade)

This morning, I yawned, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. My room was messier than usual. There were small green footprints on my floor, and grass littered the carpet under my bed. I rolled out of bed and almost hit my head on the table when I spotted something on my desk that wasn’t there yesterday. A green four leaf clover sat there with the words “Good Luck” written in ketchup on my desk. 

Maybe I was seeing things, but my whole room had little green footprints and ketchup on the floor. I ran to the bathroom and even my face had green paint on it. My Monday was becoming a disaster.

I got dressed, wiped the green off my face, and went to clean my room. Even after using alcohol wipes, my room lingered of the ketchup essence. 

Rushing to school because I was already late, I tried to find my socks, but the only ones that were in my basket were neon green. Not very matching with my dark green uniform. 

The car sped down the road, green lights every time. Was this a sign? 

At school, we had tests in every class except for PE. In History, I summarized the Civil War perfectly and even got extra credit. In Math, I aced geometric shapes and linear equations. Even in Art I could draw things that weren’t stick figures. Ms. Beverly was so impressed with me that she let me teach the class. 

I checked my grades in Language Arts after taking my quiz, and to my surprise, the grades were all above 95%. In Math I had 102%! How was this even possible? Maybe the ketchup stain on my white desk was worth it. 

In PE, we had to play basketball, and I was not excited. I was the worst one in my grade. I can’t even shoot! I’ll give this new-found luck a try.

I did a crossover and dribbled with precision. Then, I shot the ball. It sailed in the air as if in slow motion and it circled around the rim. Finally, it fell in. My team cheered and for once I didn’t feel useless. They cheered and I felt cool. Really cool. They all wanted me on their team. 

After PE in Grammar, I was sweating, yet so sleepy. The worst feeling to have. I would’ve loved to sleep earlier at 8 o’clock, but i can never fall asleep at that time. 

At home, after homework, dinner, and showering. It was 8:30, still too early to sleep, but I tried anyway. I started getting drowsy and my eyes started to close. Soon after, I was fast asleep, probably snoring aloud. 

I woke up, not in the morning, but in the middle of the night. On the four leaf clover, one of the leaves started wilting. I picked it up and it fell. I put it up to my nose and… Yup. It smelled like ketchup

Oh well, I guess all good things come to an end. I was grateful for all that I got to experience today. The happiness I felt today was unimaginable. I guess this was what unlimited luck felt like!

        

Personification: A Day in the Life of an Object

 This is one of my favorite assignments, and is where I usually get to see my students' personalities shine through! I tell them they are to become an object for one day, and use personification techniques to take the reader through their day and what they do, see, hear, and feel.  We brainstorm first, then story map the beginning, middle, and end of our days while focusing on how the object would perceive the things happening to them.  These are always entertaining pieces.  Enjoy these samples across the grades!

A Day in the Life of a Piano, by Ella (1st grade)

        I got picked up for the store and I was very excited.  I got to the car and some kid's parents carried me early in the morning.

        In about five minutes, we arrived at their house.  The kid's parents set me up.

        Everyone began playing me.  I felt so ticklish!  I felt so happy.  I was so amazed with what they were able to play.  They were good at playing very loudly and very quietly.

        I stayed still when they were playing so they did not mess up.  I was trying to be kind.

        Later, they were very busy doing homework.  

        Soon, they played for the last time today!  Then they went to bed.

        My day was so much fun!

A Day in the Life of an Egg, by Wesley (2nd grade)

        I was in an egg carton with my brother and sister eggs, but then our egg carton house got picked up.  It felt like I was floating!

        Finally, we were set down.  "I'm really cold!" I said to myself. 

        "Hi Really Cold!  We are in a fridge!" I heard an apple say.  "Welcome, egg!  My name is Patrick the apple."

        The next morning, a human grabbed me.  She lifted me up in the air, and hit my head on the side of the pain!  It really hurt!

        Then I got cooked!  It felt like I had 1,000 sunburns.  And all of the other eggs were laughing at me.

A Day in the Life of a Stuffy, by Evy (3rd grade)

I wake up on a beautiful day, waiting for someone to take me. I just feel horrible, will no one want me?

 Suddenly, I see a wonderful, beautiful girl with brown curly hair, and she comes to take me. "Yay!" I think in my head.

When I get to this cool place, I get put on a goofy, white pillow. Thirty minutes later, I get hugged and my owner sleeps soundlessly.

After she naps, she leaves me behind. "Oh no! Does she not like me?"

"No, she loves you," says another stuffy.

Finally she comes back, flips off the lights, and lies down. Aahhhhhh! It's so dark and creepy, so I decide to poke her. Then she turns on her night light. Oh, much better!

I love being a stuffy!

A Day in the Life of a Stanley, by Momo (5th grade)

“SIGH, when will I get out of this giant room and get to see the world?” I think as I look at $10 blankets. I feel my buddy’s hand brushing against my back. Every single day, I always hear desperate-for-me-voices say “Mom, can I please, please get this Stanley?? All the other girls have one at school.” Then the mom says, “No, Honey, we already have enough water bottles at home.”Water bottles. Ha! As if there is any comparison. I am unique. I am special. I am enormous! I am….

A STANLEY!

Finally, a 12 year old girl with her mom come into the room. They make their way over to my social circle. I hear the girl say, “Mom, since it's my birthday, can I get this Stanley please?” 

Then, the mom says “You know what? Sure! It will match with my new tumbler too!” 

The girl places me into the basket along with a *cough* knockoff Stanley. 

They take me home and place me onto the counter to sleep until the next day. The girl twists my hat off and puts ice, water, and a lemon slice into my body and twists my hat back on. Then on my feather, she puts a cute pizza cap onto it. After that, she takes me into the car next to the *cough* knockoff Stanley and we have an argument about what fruit is better in water, lemon or cucumber. Obviously lemon is way better! 

The mom drives into this long lane and the girl grabs me and jumps out of the car. She walks into the school and I see so many things! Lockers, desks, so many doors, and a million backpacks! The girl takes me to her classes and I learn so many new things. Did you no that you don’t spell no like no but like know? So cool!

The mom drives up again into the long lane and my awesome self and the girl hop into the car. The girl places me into the throne and I continue my argument with the *cough* knockoff Stanley.

When we get home, the girl takes off my hat and takes out my water and lemon. She dumps them down the sink. Then she takes this soft white sponge that feels like a cloud, lathers it with soap, and puts it into me. “That feels so good! It’s like a spa! Ahhhhhhhh…. Keep on scrubbing there!” After that she places me upside down onto a towel. Nice!

I can’t wait until tomorrow for the spa again!

A Sad Day in the Life of a Cloud, by Lena (5th grade)

I am floating about the atmosphere, minding my own business and letting the day fly by like a gust of wind. But at the moment, I feel like a thunderstorm. I feel fogged up, gloomy, and cloudy. How could this day get any worse? 

The sun comes out and says good morning! She always makes my day brighter. I start to feel better, and I wish I could feel her kind sunrays on me forever. Sometimes they tickle, and they sure tickle today. I laugh so hard, vapor keeps bursting out of me! It sure feels nice to be the sun’s only friend, and I am such an introvert. The sunrise is especially vibrant today, with vivid neon pinks and oranges, yellows and blues. 

I observe the beach, the whales sticking their tails out of the water. The shark fins peeking out. I watch the bustling people going to work, school, or just doing whatever they feel like. I hear the church bells. “RINGGG!” I feel so much more refreshed. 

I hear a deep stormy laugh. “Rumble… Rumble……”  I start to wonder what I’m hearing, so I check who it is. There is another cloud! I notice that when he came around, everything turned grey and sad. What happened to my sunny day?  I see the sun go away, the sky turn murky and gloomy, the happy people go inside.

 I feel miserable. I have no choice but to cry. My big melancholic tears fill rivers and flood the city below, creating puddles to splash in tomorrow. the tops of buildings, umbrellas, and houses. 

 The sun leaves me, and I am stuck with this annoying cloud as she abandons me for her shift on the other side of the earth.

The Day My Boring Life Ended   

by Maya (6th grade)      

I woke up in darkness as usual. The other paints and brushes rustled around me in their neat, jam-packed rows. What time is it? I wondered. A sleepy voice came from above me.”Alexa-ugh-what time is it?” “The time is 10:26 AM”, came the robotic response. 10:26?? She should be up by now. I’m talking about the Girl Who Lives Upstairs. She sometimes gets down and walks past our paint house to visit her neighbors, a whiny little girl, a woman who yells often, and a guy who always leaves the neighborhood around 8:00 and returns at the same time at night. 

I was wondering why the girl didn’t rush back and forth from her house and the others’, like she often does (their houses are connected by only a door). But I realized, it must be one of those break days, where everyone stays at home and relaxes. “Hey, do you think we’ll be used today?” I whisper to Navy Blue, who is one spot across and one spot up from me. 

“We’ll never be used! Ever! We’ll be left to rot in this dark, crowded house forever!” wailed Navy. He started sobbing loudly, causing the other paints to wake up.

 “ARGHHHHH!” screamed Deep Red. “WOULD YOU SHUT UP ALREADY!” 

“Guys… let’s all calm down,” said White serenely. She sighed and started snoring gently.

 I settled back into my cramped space in our house under the bed while the other things under the bed began to wake up. “Hello!” said Barbie, waving her scratched, dirty hand. The Barbie horses neighed in response. Meanwhile I went back to sleep.

I was awakened by our house being pulled out into bright lights. The Girl Who Lives Upstairs was standing next to our house, looking down on all of us. She reached down her enormous hand and moved it over our neat rows, as if searching. The other colors went mad with excitement.

 “YESSSSS!” squealed Warm Yellow. “SHE’S FINALLY GONNA CHOOSE ME!” 

“Not me,” I grumbled. She almost never uses black.

Her hand finally stopped. Right over me!

 The next part was kind of a blur. I remember flying through the air, gripped by The Girl’s hand, screaming to the other paints, and a room with cardboard pieces littered on the floor. Then, The Girl TWISTED OFF MY HEAD. Once I recovered from the shock of LITERALLY BEING BEHEADED, I saw her squeezing black paint out of my corpse. Strangely, once The Girl was done, I felt hollow, but I guess that makes sense, since I was probably missing half of my insides. I also saw what looked like all of my important organs on a shiny white plate-like thing that was stained many colors, some suspiciously red. 

Then The Girl dipped a stick with smooth bristles on the end into the black paint, and spread it over the cardboard. This went on for some time until all the paint was gone.

 Then, the most unthinkable, shocking, horrifying thing ever happened. The Girl picked up my squeezed-out, shriveled, dead body and my head. She walked over and pulled out this HUGE container. She opened it, and I saw a bottomless pit of darkness so toxic it made my non-existent eyes water. 

She dropped me inside and the lid slammed shut.